Giant Puppets Descend on Helena in Protest of Buffalo Slaughter

Who: Advocates of wild and free buffalo including Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) volunteers and others critical of the Interagency Bison Management Plan.

What: Creative street theatre demonstration with larger-than-life puppets representing state and federal agencies and other players responsible for the harassment and slaughter of America's last wild buffalo. Witness a fifteen-foot tall Department of Livestock (DOL) grim-reaper as he manipulates federal agencies and the state of Montana to do the bidding of the livestock industry. Observe the wicked actions of a buffalo-hating rancher, as he aids his "holy cow" by harassing and slaughtering buffalo at the expense of U.S. taxpayers. Other puppets and surprises will make their showing.

When: Thursday, January 20, 2005, 11:30 am

Where: The lawn of the Department of Livestock Headquarters, Helena

Why: The Board of Livestock governs the activities of the Montana Department of Livestock (DOL), and they will gather for their quarterly meeting at the headquarters of the Department of Livestock on January 19 and 20. Buffalo Field Campaign will gather to protest the involvement of the Department of Livestock in the management of Yellowstone buffalo, to educate the public about the senseless slaughter of America's last herd of wild, genetically pure buffalo, and to advocate for their protection.

The Buffalo Field Campaign strongly opposes the DOL's role in buffalo management, which is fully funded by federal tax dollars. The DOL is charged with managing livestock: cows, chickens, pigs, sheep and the like. They have no place managing buffalo. They claim they are slaughtering the Yellowstone buffalo because they carry brucellosis. This claim rings hollow in light of a few facts: There has never been a documented transmission of brucellosis from wild buffalo to livestock.

BFC will use giant puppets, banners, and other props to demonstrate the waste of U.S. tax dollars, the inadequacies of the DOL managing buffalo, the cowardice of federal and state agencies allowing themselves to be manipulated. Attention will also be called to Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer's recently announced plans to remove and quarantine all buffalo from Yellowstone National Park.

Buffalo Field Campaign is the only group working in the field, everyday, to stop the slaughter of the wild Yellowstone buffalo. Volunteers defend the buffalo on their native habitat and advocate for their protection.

BFC's goal is to stop the slaughter and harassment of Yellowstone's wild buffalo herds, protect the natural habitat of wild free-roaming buffalo and native wildlife, and to work with people of all Nations to honor the sacredness of wild buffalo.